.EU Frequently Asked Questions
• What is .eu?
• Why should I register a .eu domain?
• Who operates the Registry for .eu?
• Who can register a .eu domain?
• How long can I register a .eu domain
for?
• When will .eu domain registrations
start?
• Can I pre-register .eu domains?
• What is the difference between a
regular pre-registration and a priority pre-registration?
• Will there be a Sunrise (Trademark)
domain registration period?
• What are the different types of
Sunrise registration services?
• How will Sunrise applications be
validated?
• How will I know if my .eu domain name
registration has been completed?
What is .eu?
.eu is a new Top Level Domain that will soon be available to any
individual that is an European Union resident or any organization or
company established in the EU. It will not replace the existing national
ccTLDs in the EU, but will complement them, giving EU residents the option
of having a pan-European Internet identity for their online presence. This
new TLD will be particularly useful for organizations and companies
operating at a European level, which have taken advantage of the EU Single
Market.
Why should I register a .eu domain?
The EU has one of the largest numbers of Internet users in the world and
the introduction of the .eu TLD has created even more awareness of the
Internet as a global medium for trade and the exchange of information. You
will gain continent-wide exposure that is recognizable in all 25 EU member
countries.
Benefit from the opportunity to take advantage of a brand new TLD and have a greater chance secure the domains of your choice in the first ever pan European TLD to take advantage of the single EU market.
Who operates the Registry for .eu?
The .eu TLD is managed and operated by a private sector, non-profit
organisation called EURid (the Registry), in consultation with the
European Internet community.
Who can register a .eu domain?
- A natural resident of the European Union
- An organization established within the European Union without prejudice to the adherence to national laws.
- An individual with undertakings of having a registered office, central administration or principal place of business within the European Union.
How long can I register a .eu domain for?
A .eu domain name can be registered for a maximum term of 1 year.
Registrants will be emailed renewal reminders prior to the expiry date of
the domain.
When will .eu domain registrations start?
Registrations are currently scheduled to commence in the 4th quarter of 2005 with the start of the .eu “Sunrise” period for eligible trademark holders, and holders of other recognized rights only. The live .eu registrations are currently scheduled to begin in early 2006.
Can I pre-register .eu domains?
Yes. We are now accepting pre-registrations for .eu Sunrise and regular domain registration for registrants that meet the .eu registration requirements. The .eu Registry will be processing Sunrise domain requests for qualified applicants prior to launching their live services for regular domain registration.
Please Note: The .eu Registry has not yet provided all the details related to their services and may require additional information to be provided to complete a .eu domain registration. If any additional information is required, you will be contacted by email instructing you to provide the additional information to us prior to the launch of live registrations.
What is the difference between a regular pre-registration and a priority pre-registration?
Regular Pre-Registrations
- All regular pre-registration requests will be placed in our internal
pre-registration queue in the order they are received
- The regular pre-registration request that we receive first for each domain will be submitted for live registration once the registry opens on a first-come-first-served basis provided i) no priority pre-registration has been purchased for that domain and ii) the domain has not already been registered during the Sunrise period
If credit card pre-authorization of the annual registration fee for a domain fails then the pre-registration request for that domain will not be submitted to the registry and we will move to the next domain in our queue
Note: if your regular pre-registration request results in a successful live registration then you will be charged the annual registration fee for the registration term you selected.
- Priority pre-registration guarantees your pre-registration a #1 rank
in our pre-registration queue for that domain
- This option gives you a much greater chance of getting a successful
live registration for your domain as only the #1 ranked domains will
be submitted to the registry
- Only 1 priority pre-registration will be accepted per domain
- The priority pre-registration for each domain will be submitted for
live registration once the registry opens on a first-come-first-served
basis provided that the domain has not already been registered during
the Sunrise period
- If credit card pre-authorization of the annual registration fee for a domain fails then the pre-registration request for that domain will not be submitted to the registry and we will move to the next domain in our queue
A non refundable fee will be charged for each priority pre-registration
Note: If your priority pre-registration request results in a successful live registration then you will be charged the annual registration fee for the registration term you selected.
Will there be a Sunrise (Trademark) domain registration period?
Yes, EURid will have a Sunrise period during which trademark holders, as well as holders of other right recognized in the national law of an EU member state, can register their domains. The Sunrise period will be launched in two phases. Phase 1 will be available for public bodies and holders of trademarks to apply for the corresponding name. This phase is currently scheduled to begin in the 4 th quarter of 2005 and will last 2 months. Phase 2 will be available for those eligible to apply in phase 1 plus holders of other rights recognized in the national law of a member state to apply for the corresponding name.
What are the different types of Sunrise registration services?
During Phase 1 of the Sunrise Period, a domain name that EXACTLY corresponds with:
- the full name of a public body;
- the acronym by which a public body is commonly known or
- if applicable, the territory which is governed by a public body,
Note: The sunrise application fee is one-time and is in addition to the annual registration fee. If your sunrise application results in a successful live registration then you will be charged the annual registration fee for the registration term you selected.
During Phase 1 of the Sunrise Period, a domain name that EXACTLY corresponds with:
- registered EU Member States national trademarks and
- registered EU Community trademarks,
can be applied for by the trademark holder/licensee. The application must be for a domain name that exactly matches the Trademark documentation. If the Trademark contains a space then a hyphen can be used in the domain name instead of the space. (e.g. if the trademark is for “XYZ Company” then the domain name can be xyzcompany.eu or xyz-company.eu).
Note: The sunrise application fee is one-time and is in addition to the
annual registration fee. If your sunrise application results in a
successful live registration then you will be charged the annual
registration fee for the registration term you selected.
During Phase 2 of the Sunrise Period, a domain name that EXACTLY corresponds with:
- The rights listed in Phase 1 of the Sunrise period and
- Other rights that are protected under the national law of the Member
State of the European Union where they are held such as:
- company names
- business identifiers
- distinctive titles of protected literary and artistic work
- unregistered trademarks
- trade names
- family names
can be applied for by the holder of the eligible right. Each of the above rights are not necessarily recognized in each of the Member States of the European Union. Also, the above list of rights is not exhaustive as there may be additional rights that are protected under the national law of Member States of the European Union. Sunrise applicants that wish to apply under rights other than those above must provide (i) the legal basis that grants the right in community law or the national law of the Member State where the right is held and (ii) documentary evidence which is accepted to demonstrate the right under that law.
Note: The sunrise application fee is one-time and is in addition to the
annual registration fee. If your sunrise application results in a
successful live registration then you will be charged the annual
registration fee for the registration term you selected.
How will Sunrise applications be validated?
All .eu Sunrise applications will be processed through PricewaterhouseCoopers. As Validation Agent for EUR id, PricewaterhouseCoopers will take an active role in order to ensure that the validation process will be conducted in an objective, transparent and non-discriminatory manner. We advise all .eu Sunrise applicants to visit the PricewaterhouseCoopers online validation services for EURid FAQ page located on their website to review the .eu Sunrise validation process.How will I know if my .eu domain name pre-registration has been completed?
When the .eu Registry launches their live registration services, and your pre-registration has been processed, you will receive an email from us that will verify the result of your application